Thermodynamic Analysis of a Polymerization-Induced Phase Separation in Nanoparticle-Monomer-Polymer Blends

E.R. SOULÉ; J. BORRAJO; R.J.J. WILLIAMS

MACROMOLECULES

American Chemical Society

Año: 2007 vol. 40 p. 8082 - 8086

0024-9297

We perform a thermodynamic analysis of the polymerization-induced phase separation innanoparticle-monomer-polymer blends using a simple model recently proposed by Ginzburg (Macromolecules2005, 38, 2362). The model was adapted for ternary blends constituted by nanoparticles, a monomer and a linearpolymer, where the relative fractions of polymer and monomer determine the conversion in the polymerizationreaction. The analysis showed that phase separation can occur in the course of polymerization for a large rangeof values of the relevant parameters (interaction parameter and polymer and particle sizes). This possibility hasto be considered when the intention is to fix a uniform dispersion of nanoparticles in a monomer through itspolymerization.